The Priestess and the Emperor
by Chrome-Noise-427
Summary: Fuuka needs a break in life. Akihiko starts looking out for her. But could a guy like him ever like a girl like her? Expect fluff in future. Don't know what else to put here.
1. Another 'one of those days'

**The Priestess and the Emperor - Chapter 1: Another 'one of those days'.**

New to Fanficnet, oh god what is this i dont even. Apologies if it all looks blocky, It's been an age since I last wrote anything, and I'm not used to the way this works.

Hope it doesn't suck too bad.

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><p>That first beam of morning sunlight through the curtains hit her square in the face that morning. That was the first indication that it was going to be 'one of those days' for Fuuka Yamagishi. It was all the groggy teen needed after a long, long night of studying, followed by working communications and scanning shadows in the dark hour. When her eyes finally focused on the face of her alarm clock, it smugly displayed that she still had a good 15 minutes before she would normally rise. 'Of course...' she thought, even her sleep pattern works against her. That was Fuuka's life in a nutshell. Still, it was an improvement over waking to another argument between her mother and father. That was one of the better perks of living in the S.E.E.S dorms at least.<p>

After a small groan of surrender she swivelled out of bed and set about getting ready for the school day. Her shower was nowhere near as revitalising as she hoped it would be, and she was still half in a daze, brushing her hair, as she plodded down the stairs and into the common room. Unsurprisingly it was still empty. She could hear Yukari's hair dryer as she passed her room on the way down, and Mitsuru was typically elsewhere at this time (Fuuka never particularly inquired as to where she went, It was, after all, none of her business.). As for the boys, well, Akihiko always seemed to be eating a quick breakfast when she came down, and she could only theorise that both Junpei and Minato would wait until the last possible moment to get out of bed.

According to Yukari, they'd be catching up on sleep during lesson too, and according to Junpei, he had yet to perfect the art to Minato's level. Conversations like that always made Fuuka giggle; Everyone in the dorms was so lively and friendly, and, well, normal. Not weird like she was. Even so, for once, she had friends now, and felt like she belonged. She quite liked her mental pictures of what everyone would be doing as they woke up. It felt almost like a real insight into their lives, and that she understood them, knew them as friends should know each other.

The click of the front door swinging open drew Fuuka out of her daze as she peered out from the kitchen where she'd been daydreaming, waiting for the coffeemaker to finish. A tall white-haired boy wiped a bead of sweat from his head on his arm as he closed the door behind him. "Oh, good morning senpai." Fuuka called out to the boy with a voice as drowsy as she felt. He turned to face her and flashed her the briefest of smiles as he greeted her.

"Morning, Yamagishi. You're up early. Couldn't sleep?" he inquired quirking a brow at her as he sidled over to the counter and pulled up a stool.  
>"Huh...? ...Oh... Um... not really..." The teal-haired girl smiled wearily, fighting the urge to rub her eyes in front of her senpai, and failing miserably as the whirring from the coffee machine came to an end.<p>

Akihiko failed to restrain a small chuckle and shook his head slowly, pushing his mug across the counter to her. "You're at that stage, huh?"  
>"That stage...?" Fuuka tilted her head curiously, the words more a yawn than a question as she poured out coffee out for herself and the boy opposite her.<br>"A couple of weeks of Tartarus and early mornings will do that to you." He nodded, taking his coffee. "Thanks. It all catches up with you and wears you out after a little while," Akihiko added with a gulp of his coffee.

"It's alright though.. I'll just have to get used to it." Once again, she bore a small smile, raising her own coffee mug to her lips and blowing into it to cool it a little. After pausing for a moment, she wondered aloud. "Um... Akihiko-senpai... just out of curiosity, what were you doing this morning?"

He blinked for a moment as if it were an odd question and stared into the swirling hot liquid at the bottom of his mug. "Ah, well, I go out on runs in the morning. Normally I'd be training in my room, but Mitsuru doesn't want me waking the others with the noise." Akihiko rolled his eyes. "Still, there's nothing like fresh air and exercise in a morning to wake you up in a morning."

"Oh, I see... I'll bear that in mind." Fuuka smiled and nodded slowly in reply, cupping her mug with both hands as she eyed him for a moment. Going out for morning runs. So that was it. She could picture that. It certainly made sense, considering what she had come to know about Akihiko. He was in his last year at Gekkoukan High school, Undefeated Captain of the school's boxing team. Tall, well-built, cool, good-looking. It was no surprise he was popular with the other girls, even if he took no interest in them whatsoever, no matter how attractive they were. Fuuka didn't know what to think of him when he first came to her rescue in Tartarus. He had that reputation, but it didn't take her long to notice he was just a down-to-earth regular guy. Caring, but with a patience that had its limits.

"Well, I'm gonna go freshen up a bit while I've got time, thanks for the coffee." Her sporty senpai's voice snapped her back to reality.

"O-oh, okay, I'll see you later then." The teal-haired girl looked away swiftly, nodding frantically as he plonked his mug down and got up to leave. Oh god. She hoped didn't stare at him for too long when she spaced. The last thing she wanted is for him to think her any weirder than he did already. And especially not that she was yet another troublesome fangirl. Sure, Akihiko was certainly handsome, but a guy like him was more than out of a shameless nerd like her's league, not only that, but Minato was more her type. He was 'kind of cute in his own weird way' (Yukari's words, not hers, she just nodded very, very slightly in agreement), her age, quiet, laidback, and not always surrounded by squealing girls. Still out of her league though, she chastised herself for even going down that trail of thought. Stuff like that only happens to the popular, attractive, talented girls.

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><p>On the way to Gekkoukan high, Fuuka soon found herself lost in a sea of the usual faces, gaggles of gossiping girls strolling leisurely, the class clowns already making scenes even before they got through the gates, the smokers slouched against the wall, taking their last drags before homeroom, all those sorts of students. She did notice a certain blue-haired boy and pink sweater wearing girl walking together and laughing several groups ahead of her, and the familiar baseball cap of Junpei Iori bobbing and weaving through the crowd to catch up to the pair as he eventually caught up and slung his arms over each of their shoulders. Obviously, he'd never heard of the old 'three is a crowd' saying, or if it had, it never crossed his mind.<p>

A weak smile formed on the petite girl's lips as she watched on. Junpei's silliness aside, the two of them made a great couple, and there was obviously some sort of chemistry between them. 'Far be it for me to come between them...' Fuuka thought to herself, and once again berated herself inside her mind for acting like she was even a blip on his radar, as opposed to trailing along unnoticed behind him and some other much prettier girl, like a lost puppy. Yes, it was definitely one of those days.

"Yamagishi! Wait up!" A familiar masculine voice behind her caught her attention through the dull cacophony of teen voices. It was definitely her name being called, wasn't it? The tealette slowed her pace and peered over her shoulder as the slim figure of Sanada Akihiko jogged up behind her, his jacket hanging lazily over his shoulder. Her mahogany eyes blinked twice in surprise as he walked level with her.

"Oh...! Senpai...! Sorry, I was in a world of my own..." she apologised, casting her gaze downwards.

"Yeah, it seemed that way, I was calling out to you for a while there." Another low chuckle of mirth from Akihiko.

"R-Really? I'm sorry..." she mumbled, peering back up at him, her face displaying a look of confusion. What could he possibly want with her right in front of school?

"Don't worry about it." The older boy shook his head slightly, mistaking her confusion for worry. "Relax, Mitsuru just wanted me to check you're settling in alright at the dorms."

Oh, so that was it? She almost breathed a sigh of relief aloud. Still, it seemed odd, a fortnight after she'd moved in and joined S.E.E.S. "I think so... I mean, I've got everything I need... I've not had any problems, and everyone has been very friendly and helpful..." she pouted thoughtfully as she answered him honestly, dawdling onwards with her schoolbag gripped in both hands.

"Glad to hear it," he replied with a small nod. There was something about his voice which made her feel weird, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what. "...What about school?" Akihiko added after a moment's pause.

"...What about it?" Her gaze dropped again.

"You know, the bullying... Did Natsuki make up with you?" That's what was weird about his voice. He sounded almost hesitant to ask, a tender tone reminiscent of an older brother. Before she knew it, her lips had creased into another smile.

"Yes she did... We're friends now." Well, that was half an answer. With Natsuki as a friend, certainly the bullying wasn't as severe as it was before, but it still went on. She could still feel eyes on her during lessons; Hear whispers and laughter at lunchtime. That ghost girl this, that ghost girl that, her ridiculous fashion sense this, her ugly hair that, et cetera, et cetera.

Akihiko's expression clouded for a moment. Certainly he was no people-person, but even he could tell that she wasn't being completely honest. "...Good," he replied after eyeing her somewhat-forced smile once more. "But let me know if there's any more trouble. Don't forget we'll need your full concentration in Tartarus, alright?" the boy continued, wearing another brief smile. Apparently that was his way of trying to lighten up the conversation.  
>"Oh, um, I will, thank you..." she mumbled, nodding slowly.<p>

Of course, she wouldn't.

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><p>Yes, it was certainly 'another one of those' days for Fuuka. Getting tripped during gym class, being picked on in Mr. Ekoda's class (She was grateful for Natsuki's saves, but Mr. Ekoda definitely seemed out to get her), Having another cooking club disaster. She spent most of last period slumped over her desk near lifelessly at the back of the classroom. The end of school bell just couldn't ring fast enough, and when it did, she wasn't exactly part of the group clamoring for the door.<p>

Normally she'd be walking home with Natsuki but she had plans for the afternoon and had to rush home, leaving Fuuka to take the monorail back on her own. When she finally mustered the strength to leave school, she found she had a group of five familiar-looking girls stood by the gates, shooting her venomous looks. Casting her gaze to the ground, she continued her slow shuffle toward the gates, clutching her bag to her chest.

It wasn't long however before the girls blocked her path and cut off her escape.  
>"Heeey, It's Yamagishi, Fuuka isn't it?" the tall tanned girl barring her path forward spoke, her condescending smile matched only by her tone, thick with mocking. In fact, they were all tall full-figured pretty girls. Fuuka felt as if she was shrinking simply looking up at them.<p>

"...Um.. yes.. I'm sorry, but I'm in a rush... excuse me.." the tealette mumbled pleadingly under her breath, avoiding eye-contact with any of them as she tried to brush carefully past them, only to be forcefully shoved off-balance onto her behind, a sharp pain jolting through her leg as she fell with a cry.

" 'I'm in a rush' she says! How rude." A voice from her left snorted back a laugh, mimicking her voice.

"What's the problem? We just want a chat..." cooed another sarcasm-filled voice.

"So..." the girl at the front began, narrowing her eyes menacingly as she bent down to eye-level with the frail girl. "What's the deal with you and Akihiko-senpai?"  
>"...Huh?" Fuuka could only blink dumbfoundedly in response, trying to ignore the twinge at her ankle.<br>"Don't play dumb with us, bitch! We -saw- you come to school with him this morning!" The 'leader' of the group snarled at her, roughly yanking Fuuka closer by her blue-green hair, and iliciting a loud yelp.

"Oww!" Fuuka squealed. Tears began to form in her scrunched up eyes as she desperately tried to free herself from the girl's grasp. W-...We just live in the same dorm! That's all! Honestly!" The smaller girl pleaded in a voice that threatened to spill into a sob. _'All this, just because we talked this morning...?' _A voice whimpered at the back of Fuuka's mind.  
>"Hahaha! That explains it then!" The ringleader laughed into her face. "But don't get any funny ideas, there's no other way Akihiko-senpai would be anywhere near the likes of y-" The girl's cackling in glee was soon cut off by a deep masculine voice.<p>

"Oi! Get away from her!" came the voice of a certain silver-haired boxing captain as he descended the stairs from the school's entrance, jacket casually slung over his shoulder, his stone gray glare focused upon the fallen girl through a gap in the gang's formation.

Amidst the gasps and whispers of "No way!" "Akihiko-senpai?" He strode towards the group, and the vicious circle parted to reveal an equally bewildered Fuuka. She gazed at him for a long moment until it became physically painful, and had to look away and cringe at her shameful state, sniffling and rubbing the tears from her eyes.  
>"What the hell were you thinking, ganging up on her because of something like that?" Akihiko demanded of the group around her.<p>

"But we thought-"  
>"I know damn well what you thought, and you know what? I'd pick her a hundred times over before any of you. I've never had a reason to do anything other than ignore you all before, but when you put hands on her like that you've gone too far." The silver-haired boy cut off the girl's protests with a sharp growl.<br>After shaking his head with a 'tch', he turned his attention back to Fuuka.

"There you are, Yamagishi." The male squatted down to the fallen girl without so much as a glance at the gobsmacked guilty-looking onlookers. "Let's head back together." Akihiko continued, offering a confused Fuuka both a hand to her feet and his usual confident smile.  
>"Wh-... But I...-" Fuuka began as she rubbed her eyes and stared at him incredulously, hesitantly extending a small, dainty hand toward his.<br>"C'mon. Let's go get something to eat while we're out. I'm buying." The silver-haired boy spoke as gently as his hand gripped hers, giving her a light tug to her feet.  
>Her still-teary eyes widened in a mixture of shock and horror. <em>'They attacked me just for talking to you, and now you're asking me -to dinner- in front of them?'<em> Was what she wanted to say, but instead, she nodded meekly and eased herself to her feet. Immediately pain assailed her ankle once more and a small yelp left her mouth. In response, Akihiko wordlessly placed a strong arm around her and gave her his shoulder as a support.

Fuuka was speechless, and grasped his red sweater perhaps a little harder than she meant to. Perhaps it was brought on by the previous 'conversation' but all she could think about was how warm he was. How gentle he was. Under other circumstances, the Blue-green haired girl would have gone a deep shade of red and retreated into her shell once again, but she was as much shocked and confused as the Akihiko fangirls.  
>As they hobbled away, the ringleader began to splutter possibly the worst excuses Fuuka had ever heard. "But...- But we didn't do anything!" "We were just helping her up!" "We were just talking!"<p>

Akihiko paused for a moment, gritting his teeth in irritation before turning and giving her a leer that almost turned her blood to ice. "You're still here? You've gone from a headache to a bunch of eyesores. All of you, get the hell out of my sight."  
>A moment of stunned silence passed through the group as the pair left the school gates. Even if Fuuka was sure it would all come back to bite her in the backside, even if she'd normally feel bad, there was a part of her that wanted to wear a smug smile as they left the school behind them for good.<br>Especially when she heard one of the girls muse aloud. "...Did that... really just happen? "

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><p>Thanks to Fuuka's ankle, it took longer than it normally would to reach the monorail back to Iwatodai. Aside from Akihiko occassionally asking if she needed to rest a moment, and the odd sniffle from the Tealette, the two were more or less completely silent until they finally took their seats on the monorail. Thankfully, it wasn't busy enough that they had to stand, but the heat of the afternoon sun was certainly making the ride more uncomfortable than it needed to be. She couldn't help but notice he was a textbook gentleman as he carefully set her down on the seat before perching beside her with a small sigh. She sighed too.<p>

"Um... Akihiko-senpai...Thank you for everything back there..." She meekly broke the silence with a weak smile, looking anywhere but at the silver-haired boy. "I guess... you're going to want me to tell you what happened."

"No need. I heard everything." He spoke plainly. She didn't even need to look up at him to know he was peering at her in concern.

Fuuka paused in thought for a moment, and spoke her mind quietly. "But... if you heard everything, why did you say what you did?"

"You think we pissed them off?" Akihiko's voice sounded almost amused.

"It's not funny...! If that was just because we spoke-" Fuuka protested with a small whine.

"Don't worry about it. They won't bother you again."  
>"But...-!"<br>"Just listen to me, Fuuka." He cut her off firmly. With her first name, too, she noted with a blink. "I don't give a damn about those girls, but you, you're better than the lot of them put together. They're weren't worth a second of my time before and they're worth even less to me now."

"...Well... I'm not really worth you buying me dinner either..." Fuuka mumbled under her breath, her cheeks tinting red at the vague implication. Apparently Akihiko didn't pay that much thought to what it sounded like he was saying.

"Hm?" Akihiko quirked an eyebrow "What are you talking about, Yamagishi? Can't I treat a friend once in a while?"

"...Um.. I guess." she allowed herself a small awkward giggle.

"Would you rather head back to the dorm instead and get some ice on that ankle?"

"...Mm... no, I'll be okay... Let's get something to eat." Fuuka managed her first genuine smile that day.

Thinking back on it now, he said something quite embarassing about her. What was it that he said? He'd pick her a hundred times over them? He probably didn't mean it, but still, it must have been quite a blow to their self esteem for him to... make a comment like that about someone like her. Especially while he simply walked up and scooped her away. That in itself was probably even harsher than anything else he actually said to them. Her leg hurt, but there was nothing wrong with enjoying what felt like a small victory over those slobbering fangirls, and maybe his company, a little longer.


	2. Junpei Iori  Master Spy

**The Priestess and the Emperor - ****Chapter 2: Junpei Iori - Master Spy.**

_Yeah, I'm sorry I take forever to update. Blame brain rot from work and video games. Or more specifically Skyrim. Also, if I can make even one person an AkiFuu fan after I'm done with this, I will be a happy camper.  
><em>

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><p>"So..." Junpei Iori began with a sly smile beneath the brim of his cap, lazing back leisurely on the far couch of the dorm's common room. "What's the dealio with you and Akihiko-senpai?"<p>

"The... Deal-io...?" Fuuka furrowed her brow, peering over the top of her laptop curiously at the bearded teen in the cap as he peered around anxiously for a certain redheaded senior before setting his slightly worn high-tops down on the coffee table. Fuuka bit her lip subconsciously, knowing full well where this conversation would be going just from that cheesy grin he wore. Oh yes, she had known this conversation was on its way sooner or later, and had feared it's coming since the beginning of the week.

"C'moooon~! Spill the beans already! You two have been coming back to the dorms together for a few days now, and don't think I haven't heard the rumours either." Teased Junpei, his grin widening somewhat while she dumbly blinked once or twice and sank back behind the relative hiding place of her laptop's screen, the assignment she was working on suddenly looking that much more interesting. She had to wonder what exactly these 'rumours' were, however.

"...Um..." began Fuuka, with a tentative pause, still staring blankly at the text on her screen. She had rehearsed a response just for this particular situation, but it had slipped her mind as soon as the question had actually been asked. It certainly wasn't anything like what Junpei was hinting. Far from it as in one way, the truth was stranger than fiction; the young boxing captain had in fact insisted that they walk home together for a few days after she expressed her worries about causing any more problems. At the time, it seemed like a short term solution to what would be a long term problem, considering what a two minute long conversation on the way to school had caused, but she found herself unable to say no to the normally taciturn senior. Neither of them were particularly conversational but she enjoyed his presence nonetheless. It made her feel much safer and he didn't seem to mind.

Fuuka breathed a small sigh, unable to put off the inevitable for any longer under the scrutiny of Junpei's beady eyes, she hesitantly spoke the truth. She was still unsure if Junpei was the right person to be telling, but it was better than him becoming a rumourmonger of sorts.  
>"I...- ...There was a little problem at school; Senpai has been helping me..." The tealette spoke softly, clutching her laptop as if it were a shield and looking anywhere but at the boy opposite her.<p>

"A problem?" He repeated with a number of dumb blinks, clearly musing the kind of 'problems' that Akihiko could help her with. She glanced in his direction and read the curiosity on his face. Leaving him to put two and two together and come up with double digits probably wasn't the best idea...

"...Some girls got angry at me... and came after me." She mumbled softly in a barely audible voice, still pondering if confiding in Iori was really the best idea. He was friendly, and wouldn't intentionally say or do anything to harm her, and tended to be reliable when it mattered, but it wouldn't come as a surprise were he to accidentally cause a fuss. Never mind, now that she was partway through telling him, he would only continue to bug her until he heard the full story.

"...What did you do?" Junpei asked tentatively, sounding vaguely worried as he lifted his cap and stared at her with wide brown eyes.

"I um... just walked to school with Akihiko... b-but it's alright now! He stood up for me... so..." The blue-green haired girl lowered her gaze again with a distant smile. "...So, um, he's been walking me home in case they come after me again."

"Huh... so that's it..." The boy opposite her furrowed his brow and bit his lip as he trailed off into thought. She had expected him to start cracking jokes after that, but was glad he didn't. "Seems like he has a soft spot for you, huh?" Or not.

"What...? I'm sure it's nothing like that...!" Fuuka spluttered bashfully in his defence. "...He probably just feels responsible, or something..." She lapsed into another mumble, suddenly feeling that much more self-conscious, and even more urgently, suppressing the urge to wonder about that herself.

"M'yeah... That sounds like Akihiko-senpai alright..." Junpei smiled to himself, waving a hand with an air of dismissal as he took to fully sprawling out, his head rested against one arm of the couch, his feet hanging over the other.

...

That awkward silence could only mean one thing; the inevitable question had come.  
>"So, d'ya like him? You know, -like- him, like him." He drew out his words intentionally as if to squeeze as much of a reaction out of her as possible. If his grin before was sly, this was positively devilish, as he 'absent-mindedly' checked his fingernails. It was probably unavoidable that her heart skipped a beat whether she had been prepared for it or not, and she found herself diverting her gaze once again as if looking for a means of escaping this conversation.<p>

"Well, I...-" Fuuka hesitated. And then it dawned on her. She herself didn't know the answer to that. Or perhaps it was that she did not want to answer it. The more she thought about it, the more she had begun to wonder. Akihiko was charming, attractive, had shown her (And possibly -only- her) a warmer, caring side that most people at school never got the chance to see, and when she thought about this, it didn't help her case at all. Falling for him would be like a curse to her. There were beautiful, charismatic school idols that he hadn't so much as glanced at, and she was positive (fairly sure. maybe.) that he only spoke to her, or showed her kindness as she was a comrade, or rather a responsibility of his as her senior in S.E.E.S. It felt dangerous to think on it too much as there would be no going back if she did foster a crush on him. She'd likely do what she normally did when she had a crush, and distance herself to save face. Regardless...

"...I don't know... I-I mean, maybe... I guess so, but...-" She cringed when she could physically feel herself blushing, hugging her laptop for all its angular comfort, which was, needless to say, rather uncomfortable in fact. Well, she was partially past the line of no-return if only by baby-steps.  
>"But you think you're not good enough for him, and he's out of your league." The boy in the navy baseball cap hit the nail on the head, nodding sagely with a knowing smile.<p>

"...That's about the gist of it, yes... how did you know?" The tealette raised an eyebrow and bit her lip, still flustered from her half-confession.

"What, you think us guys don't feel that way about some chicks?" Junpei laughed. "Doesn't mean we don't give it a shot though." He added with a cheeky grin after reading the pout on Fuuka's tomato-red face.

"I.. don't think I want to try..." Fuuka sighed, practically deflating on her seat. The raised brow-and-frown combo that Junpei's expression faded to pretty much asked 'Why not?' for him.

"Senpai is so popular... He could probably have his choice out of all the girls in his year or ours. I don't think he'd even look at me that way... So it's probably for the best if I just try and forget about it..." As she trailed off into a solemn silence, she heard a loud, exaggerated sigh from her conversation partner.  
>"Fuuka-chan... What did I just say? How can you know for sure if you don't give it a try, huh?" Iori nagged, crossing his legs at the ankle. "Besiiiides, how many other girls is he walkin' home with?"<br>Whether the class clown was simply teasing her or not, she had to grudgingly admit that he had a point.

Plus, as Fuuka had neglected to tell Junpei, he had taken her out for dinner, even if the restaurant was of his own choosing in pursuit of his favourite dish. It wasn't as if there was any meaning behind the outing, beyond a concerned friend treating another after a particularly rough day. That, however, reminded her that he did call her a friend. Goodness, now she was over thinking everything. Her conflicting thoughts were all too easy to read in her expression, even for Junpei. "I'll tell you what, why don't you let me talk to him, mano-a-mano, man-to man. I might be able to pry something outta him and see what he thinks about you. How's that sound?" He flashed a friendly, supportive smile to her, although it still had all the makings of the cunning one he wore earlier.

"Don't do that! That makes me even more worried!" pleaded the short-haired girl almost desperately. If anything was going to spell disaster- or rather further disaster for Fuuka, it would be Junpei Iori doing some meddling.

"Don't worry about it! I'll be real subtle... I'm Junpei Iori, master spy." The bearded teen winked across at the girl, who further cringed in embarrassment. Whatever he fancied himself as, she wasn't even sure he knew what subtlety meant even if he did have good intentions. Fuuka opened her mouth to protest again, when suddenly the familiar click and creak of the front door informed the two that they were no longer alone to have their private little talk. And who should enter, forehead streaked with sweat, but the aloof boxing captain himself. Apparently he went on evening runs too.

He looked at Junpei, then at Fuuka, then quirked an eyebrow. "Evening. ...Did I interrupt something?" inquired the silver haired boy, eyeing the cheesy grin Iori wore with a raised brow. Fuuka couldn't bring herself to look at her senpai, especially whilst she was sure she was a brighter shade of red than the S.E.E.S band on her arm, and immediately she once again took to immersing herself one hundred and fifty percent in her homework assignment.

"Not at all, go ahead and take a seat, senpai~" crooned Junpei with a stealth wink to the tealette, motioning with his hand to the cosy little armchair closest to the door.

Akihiko wiped the sweat from his forehead with his forearm, and when he noted that Junpei still wore an expression that suggested he knew something he didn't, he stared in discomfort.

"...What are you planning?" The boxing captain directed his question at the slouching boy with an exasperated groan, although occasionally his glance shifted to the girl desperately trying to shrink into the land of lost coins.

"Me? Planning something? Pshaw, I'm hurt you'd accuse me of something like that." was the other male's response, filled to bursting point with mock-anguish and corny theatrics.

"...Right. I'll just remind you that we've got surveillance cameras down here, so..." The threat was left unspoken, but Akihiko didn't really need to elaborate. It didn't take a genius to figure out that incurring Mitsuru's wrath would not be pretty, at all. "...You alright, Yamagishi?" The elder boy turned his attention to Fuuka, who tried with all her might to calm the throbbing of her heart amplifying the inappropriate panic that swept her mind at the sudden redirection. Why did she feel like this now, and only now, as opposed to any other time when she had been in his company? Did the notion that she may be falling for him really exacerbate the situation so much?

"Hi! Um, Y-yeah! I'm fine...! U-um, sorry... I have to get this done..." She bluffed, bright red through and through.

"...Alright, well, I'm gonna hit the shower. Later." Akihiko concluded his questioning with a dismissive wave of the hand and began the climb up the stairs and toward the fourth floor's bathrooms. When the two juniors were alone again, Fuuka breathed a short sigh of relief as she finally began to calm.

"..."

"..."

"...So... Akihiko-senpai in the shower...-"

"I-I'm going to my room!"

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><p>The pale light from her laptop, abandoned and left to charge on her little pink coffee table, was all that illuminated her room. Concentration on her assignment, no matter how hard she tried, was impossible.<p>

Exactly how much time had passed after her clumsy retreat to her room, how long she had been splayed out face down on her bed, Fuuka wasn't sure. She wasn't sure how many times she had called herself an idiot under her breath and lightly bonked her head against her pillow either. Idiot, idiot, idiot. How long did she think she could avoid Akihiko for? How long did she think she could avoid -thinking- about how she felt for? It hadn't helped at all when a certain slacker had attempted to tease a reaction out of her with the imagery of her senpai in the shower. She did try not to think about it, she really did. After all, how -could- she face him after struggling to resist that part of her mind that was sorely tempted wander to his naked perfectly sculpted soap-ridden form? The normally timid girl felt so ashamed of herself for that. And well, everything else. It really was shameless to fall for (Or begin to, she still wasn't confirming anything to herself) a boy after a couple of days of kindness on his part.

With a soft sigh of hopelessness, she turned her head to one side, staring blearily at the source of the muted blue glow.

_'...What time is it anyway...?'_ The lengthy stretch between Fuuka questioning herself in her thoughts and dragging herself off of her bed to find out was proof enough of how feeble she felt. Once she dispelled her screensaver (It was something she was particularly fond of, an animated one of a lake's rippling water, reflecting moonlight and stars alike. There was something about it she just found so enchanting), her half-finished and thrice saved assignment squatted malignly in the middle of her screen as if to spurn her, the bright white from its background irritating her still-adjusting eyes. '23:27' the corner of her desktop informed her curtly.

_'Oh, that's right.'_ Fuuka recalled that the appointed leader of S.E.E.S. had decided that they would explore Tartarus tonight. That meant that they would have to be in front of Gekkoukan High before midnight, and with that realisation she quickly reached over to her sink and took a brush to her hair, and powered down her laptop with just enough time to find her door before her room once again sank into darkness.

The lights of the third floor corridor greeted her warmly as she stepped out to it. However, halfway through closing her door behind her, she could hear the excitable and unmistakeable voice of Junpei Iori from... somewhere, coupled with a quieter, more abrupt, and equally as familiar masculine voice. She was about to close her door as she normally when it hit her. Junpei seemed quite entertained by the idea of having some involvement in her little situation with Akihiko-senpai.

Right now, she could hear them speaking, and right now, there was only one scenario that ran through her head. It never even occurred to her that there might have been more than the two of them in conversation below, that there were ample conversation topics that two boys could talk about. She felt herself stiffen in horror- blush-powered horror. Her hand was far from steady as she tried to close her door as noiselessly as possible, but she did well enough. She took it slowly, tiptoe to tiptoe toward the top step of the winding staircase, and as she grew closer, their voices gradually became clearer.

"...-ways surrounded by chicks, and you don't like any of them? What's up with that?" Junpei's voice was the first to become intelligible.

"They're not in love with me; they're in love with the sound of their own voices. Besides, I've got enough to deal with without some troublesome girl in my life." Akihiko's stark and stern voice retorted in return.

"Okay, what about the girls here at the dorms? What about Yuka-tan? She's cute, curve-ay and has one of those auras to her, right?" Well, there was no denying that Yukari was an idol at Gekkoukan for a reason...

"I'm not interested." ...But Akihiko didn't care for idols.

"What about Mitsuru-senpai?" At this point, a sharp wolf-whistle could be heard. "Daayumn, she's hot. C'mon, you've -got- to agree with that!" Now, Fuuka was biting her lip hard. If he was interested in Mitsuru, there was simply no way she could compare. It had been said by male and female students alike that Mitsuru was simply perfect, flawless in every respect. Were Fuuka to count her own faults on her fingers and toes she'd soon run out of digits.

"Cameras, Iori. You really don't want to piss her off."

"H-hey, if she listens in, I meant it as a compliment!"

"...Right. Well, no. Not interested." She breathed a small sigh of relief, and yet she had to wonder; why? Why wasn't he interested in her? Perhaps it was because of their bond as friends? Or was it because she would be too high maintenance? Whatever the reason, the senior didn't seem to want to comment for fear of the off-chance of her becoming angered by anything he might say. And honestly, Fuuka couldn't blame him.

"Fine, fine. You don't want a 'troublesome' girl in your life, huh? What about Fuuka-chan? She's no trouble at all, right? And she's pretty cute! ...Probably has a nice little body on her under all those clothes, too...~" The aquamarine haired girl felt a bright red hue once return to her face, from her feet to her ears as if she was a cartoon character. She made something of a quick mental note to watch the bearded teen's eyes the next time they had a conversation.

"Knock it off, Iori. It'd be like dating my little sister." She could almost hear Junpei wince in response. She winced too. As did Yukari. ...Wait, Yukari?

She had been concentrating so hard on listening into their conversations that she didn't notice the other girl take up a seat on the step right beside her, and when it dawned on her that she was no longer the only one eavesdropping, she had to battle the urge to yelp in shock. With a finger to her lips, Takeba shared a knowing smile at the short-haired girl, with which Fuuka could only reply to with an awkward sheepish smile. Was that a sign that Yukari knew something?

"-You- have a little sister? ...Is she cute?" The brunette's brow twitched in irritation. So typical of Junpei.

"I was speaking figuratively, you moron!" Akihiko snapped in a way that seemed quite uncharacteristic to what Fuuka had come to know about him. It seemed to be a sore subject for him, and yet he had never made mention of any siblings before, and nor had anyone else. She was fairly sure that there wasn't any related Sanadas in school, however, or otherwise they would likely be as popular as Akihiko.

"Okay! Okay! Jeez, don't get so touchy!"

"...Tch... Fuuka just... reminds me of someone I used to know. Someone else I couldn't stand looking so sad."

Her eyes widened in shock. And shock was really all that she felt. How was she -supposed- to feel after hearing something like that? Glad that she was a special case, and he wanted to keep her happy? Or sad that his feelings toward her were seemingly that of pity and sympathy, misdirected to her from someone who had been dear to him in his past? She simply hung her head and bit her lip, staring down at the staircase blankly.

It was an odd, heavy silence that hung after that. Even the normally mouthy Junpei had either decided to bite his tongue or was always left stunned by his senpai's words, at least momentarily.

"...Well, whatever the case, dude, She's not your little sister, so think about it. A guy like you could really make her hap-"

"Can't we change the subject already?"

At this stage, Fuuka wasn't sure whether she wanted to hug Junpei or hit him, though in all likelihood she'd never do either. He had kept his promise, of sorts. He'd found out what Akihiko's thoughts were on her, the other girls, fought her corner a little, and still hadn't directly revealed Fuuka's feelings to the senior. She felt as if she understood Akihiko a little better, while at the same time would likely feel even more uncomfortable around him for some time yet. The brunette beside her lightly patted her shoulder and whispered a hushed message with a wink. "I'm rooting for you." Wearing a flustered, frazzled look, the short-haired girl didn't know how to respond. She was almost grateful for the distinct voice of Mitsuru Kirijou interrupting her thought process by way of clearing her throat in a bid to gain the two junior girls' attention.

The two girls nearly jumped out of their skin as they suddenly jolted their heads back to look toward the tall redhead senior who stood with arms folded and a quizzical, almost amused expression upon her face, eyebrows curved and lips curled. Fuuka and Yukari shared a glance at each other, and then guilty looks at the woman whom had caught the two red-handed. With a slow shake of her head, the crimson-haired beauty wore a smile that spoke volumes: 'I'll let you off, this time.' She had often reminded Fuuka of a teacher, kind but stern, forgiving but fair. Now was definitely one of those times.

As part of an unspoken plan between the females, Mitsuru was the first to descend the stairs and interrupt an ongoing argument between the two boys. Fuuka and Yukari followed suit soon after to avoid suspicion. After that everyone had been gathered in the lounge and were preparing to leave. It felt as if all eyes were on her in those few minutes before they departed. Junpei's, Yukari's and even Akihiko's gaze would sometimes cast its attention towards her fleetingly. Neither Junpei's sly grin, nor Yukari's knowing smile bothered her though. It was Akihiko's clouded, sombre stare that troubled her the most.

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><p><em>Oh and just to let you know, it is in fact Akihiko's deceased sister, Miki, that Fuuka reminds him of.<em> _Didn't want anyone to think I was going off the rails._


End file.
